KELVIN Davis has been starved of FA Cup excitement in his career, but he wants that to change, writes Carl Marston.Ipswich Town keeper Davis did not derive that much pleasure from last weekend's 6-4 win over Crewe, simply because he was beaten four times.

KELVIN Davis has been starved of FA Cup excitement in his career, but he wants that to change, writes Carl Marston.

Ipswich Town keeper Davis did not derive that much pleasure from last weekend's 6-4 win over Crewe, simply because he was beaten four times.

Tomorrow, he wants to keep a rare clean sheet, and ensure that Town see off the challenge of Sunderland to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup.

"I remember beating Middlesbrough a couple of times while I was at Wimbledon, but I haven't really had that many good FA Cup runs," recalled Davis.

"I've had success in the League Cup, but that's not the same as the FA Cup.

"Last weekend wasn't that much fun for me. I know that the most important thing was that we won, to get three more points. Yet it wasn't one of my more enjoyable games!"

Former Luton and Wimbledon keeper Davis, who moved to Portman Road last summer, has been ever-present this season.

However, the 27-year-old has only kept six clean-sheets in 31 league and cup games, a ratio that he wants to improve.

"I haven't kept as many clean sheets as I'd have liked," admitted Davis.

"Yet we've still got the winning habit. It doesn't help not having a settled defence in front of me, and again a couple of the lads are nursing knocks going into this game.

"I wasn't too bothered with who we got in the draw, so long as we were at home. I felt at the time that this was a tie we could win.

"We certainly have enough going forward to beat Sunderland. We are the leading scorers in the division."

Davis is not too concerned that a healthy run in the FA Cup – Town have not reached the fifth round since 1996 – might have a detrimental effect on the team's chances of winning promotion back to the Premiership.

He added: "It's good to have that winning feeling, in any competition.

"Perhaps it would have been a little different if we were in the Carling Cup as well as the FA Cup and the League. That would have put a big strain on the squad.

"But some FA Cup success would do us no harm. It would also make a change for me," concluded Davis.